Chimney ventilator or cowl



Jime 15, 1943- v. J; KENNEDY 2,321,919

CHIMNEY VENTILATOR OR COWL Filed Dec. 28, 1940 Vic for .f/iennedyPatented June 15, 1943 when STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,321,919 CHIMNEYVENTILATOR 0R COWL Victor J. Kennedy, Kahoka, Mo.

Application December 28, 1940, Serial No. 372,153

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in chimney hoods or cowls and theprimary object of the present invention is to provide a hood orventilating cowl for chimneys which is designed in such a way as toconform with the natural tendency of gases rising from a burning body,to follow a spiral path and which, in addition to this, will protect thechimney against the entrance of rain.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chimney ventilator whichby assisting the rising gases from the chimney to follow a spiral path,will increase the draft efiect so as to improve the action of thechimney in discharging the smoke and gases rising therethrough from afurnace, fireplace or other area in which fuel is burned,

A further object of the invention is to provide a spiral chimney hood orventilator which is so designed that it will carry off any moisturefalling thereon and also carry off any moisture depositedas-condensation upon the under surfaces, in such a way as to prevent themoisture from entering the chimney, and which will also function as-awind guard to prevent back drafts or down drafts in the chimney.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing forming part of this specification, with modifications mark nomaterial departure from l the salient features of the invention asexpressed inv the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in top plan of one form of the ventilator constructedin accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, aportion of the structure being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line Fi 1.

I Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view in top plan of another form of ventilator constructedin accordance with the invention.

: Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of the form of ventilator shown inFig. 5.

'Fig. '7 is a vertical section on the line |'l of Fig. 5. I

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective unapplied of one of the semi-ellipticalmembers comprised in the cap.

Referring now more particularly to thedrawing, while both of theillustrated forms of the invention possess the same fundamentalfeatures, certain details of construction are different in the twoforms, therefore, a detailed description will first be given of the formshown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. In this form of the invention, thenumeral I designates a flue pipe. This pipe at its top end is cut toform the two semi-circular spirally directed edges 2, the top and bottomends of these spiral edges being in the same horizontal planes and thespirals being both of right-hand. There are thus formed the twodiametrically opposite vertical or longitudinally extending edges 3,each of which joins the upper end of one of the semi-circular spiraledges 2 with the bottom end or lower end of the other spiral edge.

The numeral 4 generally designates a cap which is made up of twosemi-elliptical sections 5, each of which has a straight long edge 6corresponding with the long axis of the ellipse and an outer ellipticaledge I which connects the ends of the long edge 6. At the central partof the long edge 5 of each semi-elliptical section 5 of the cap isformed a substantially triangular plate 8, which is perpendicular to thesurface of the section with which it is joined, and these plates aredisposed in side by side relation and secured together in any suitablemanner as by turning over an edge of one plate across the, adjacent edgeof the other plate, as indicated at 9, so that the planes of the twoelliptical portions of the cap will be substantially perpendicularlyrelated or, in other words, the edges 6 of the two portions will be atright angles, as shown in Fig. 3. Thus the cap when viewed in top planas in Fig. 1, will appear to have a circular peripheral form and, infact, the periphery of the two portions of the cap, when viewed in topplan do define a circle, the diameter of which is materially greaterthan the diameter of the fiue pipe over which the cap is located. Afterthe portions of the cap are secured together, the cap is then attachedto the Vertical edges 3 at the ends of the spiral edges 2, so as to bemaintained in spaced relation with these spiral edges and thus form inconjunction therewith the spiral smoke and gas escape openings it, whichare covered or shielded from above by the cap.

} Encircling the cap 4 is a shield skirt H which is secured to theperiphery of the cap and, therefore, is maintained in spaced relationwith the wall of the pipe I, and the top end of this sleeve is in theplane of the joined top edges of the plates 8, as shown in Fig. 4, andis open. The skirt is provided with two opposite spiraled lower edgesI2, each of which substantially conforms to the curvature of theadjacent spiral edge 2 of the flue pipe but lies below such spiral edge,so that the portion of the skirt immediately adjacent each of its spiraledges I2 serves as a vertical shield for the adjacent opening II], whichit covers. Each of these vertical shields which follows the curvature ofthe pipe and covers the adjacent opening I0, is indicated by the numeralI3.

Each of the opening covering shields I3 has an inturned end portion I4which is secured to the wall of the pipe below a vertical edge 3, as ismost clearly brought out in Fig. 4, and from this attached end I4, eachof the shield portions I3 through a portion of its length, has a topedge I5 which converges, as shown in Fig. 2, with an end of a spiraledge I2, and these short edges I5 each extends along a portion of theelliptical edge of a cap portion 5.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the structure described providesa pipe having at its upper end two laterally opening spiral outlets orsmoke openings, each of which is covered throughout its length by alaterally projecting hood and that each of the smoke openings isvertically shielded as a result of which smoke and gases rising throughthe pipe will strike the under sides of the two portions of the cap andbe conducted upwardly and outwardly in a spiral path, and at the sametime the caps prevent the entrance of rain into the pipe and the shieldportions I3 of the sleeve prevent air being driven directly into theopenings. However, air currents moving horizontally can enter betweenthe convergent edges I2 and I5 to flow over the tops of the portions 5of the cap-and thus create an upward suction which will facilitate theescape of gases from the flue.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the flue pipe isindicated by the numeral I6. This flue pipe is cut at its top edge tohave a single spiral edge I! which extends entirely around the pipe,thereby forming a'single vertical edge 98 which extends from the lowerend of the spiral edge entirely to the upper end thereof. The numeral I9designates a cap which is formed from a single piece' of material andcut and shaped to provide a fiat spiral body which has the twooppositely directed upper and lower radial edges '20 and'2l,respectively, which converge at the center of the cap. Extendingvertically between these radial edges is a plate or wall 22, whichmaintains the said radial edges in spaced relation. The cap is placed inposition over the upper end of the pipe I6 so as to be coaxial therewithand the outer edge 23 of the cap plate 22 is secured along the verticaledge I9 of the pipe from the upper end thereof and terminates short ofthe lower end, as is clearly shown in Fig. 7, as a result of which thecap I9 is maintained spaced from the spiraledge I1, and there is thusprovided between this spiral edge and the under side of the cap, thespiral smoke outlet 24 which extends entirely around the pipe.

The diameter of the cap I9 is greater than the diameter of the pipe I6,as is clearly shown in Fig. '7 and in Fig. 5, so that the outer portionof the cap projectsbeyond the wall of the-pipe and there is secured tothis outer portion the depending spiral shield skirt 25, which is ofconstant width throughout and, therefore, of spiral form, and the loweredge of this skirt extends below the spiral edge I'I, thus effectivelyshielding the outlet 24 from the direct entrance of air currents intothe opening. At its lower end this skirt is turned in toward the wall ofthe pipe I6, as indicated at 26, and is secured to the pipe. At itsupper end the skirt is carried around beyond the wall 22, so that theinner face of the upper end of the skirt is opposed to and in spacedrelation with the wall 22. The highest part of the cap I9 is providedwith a continuing portion 21 which bridges the space between the top ofthe vertical wall 22 and the highest part of the top edge of the skirt25. With this construction, it will be readily apparent that the smokeor gases rising through the pipe I6 will flow out laterally through thespiral opening 24 against the under side of the cap I9 and the innerside of the skirt 25, and will be made to follow the gradually risingspiral area formed between the skirt and the wall of the pipe and passout to the atmosphere between the upper end portion of the skirt and theWall 22. With this arrangement also it will be apparent that in additionto conducting the gases upwardly along a spiral path, the gas and smokeoutlet opening is effectively shielded against the direct entrance ofair currents thereinto and also rain falling upon the shield or cap andskirt will be carried downwardly and discharged along the outer side ofthe pipe without entering the pipe.

It will also be readily apparent that in both illustrated forms of theinvention, the construction is such that any moisture condensing uponthe under surface of the cap and of the shield skirts or sleeves will beconducted downwardly and discharged belowthe smoke escape openings andthat, therefore, no moisture, whether it be in the form of rain and snowor in the form of condensate, can enter .the pipe of either of thedevices through the smoke escape opening.

What is claimed is: I

.1. A device of the character stated, comprising a flue pipe, meansforming a top in spaced relation with'the top end edge of the pipe, saidtop and the adjacent edge of the pipe being constructed and arranged toform a spirally extending outlet opening, means supported by the pipe.and connected with the top forming a spiral downwardly opening channelinto which the first opening discharges, the said spiral channel havingits upper end opening upwardly above the top of the'pipe.

2. A device of the character stated, comprising a flue pipe, a capcovering an end of the pipe, the said end of the pipe being cutobliquely to form a spirally directed edge, said cap being in spacedrelation with said edge and forming therewith a discharge opening forthe pipe, .the cap extending throughout its circular extent in a radialdirection beyond the wall of the pipe, and a vertical shield connectedwith the outer edge of the cap and extending axially of the pipe inspaced relation therewith and across said opening, said shield being inspaced relation with the pipe at the said end thereof to form a smokedischarging passage.

3. A device of the'character stated, comprising a pipe which isvertically arranged in use; said pipe being cut at'its upper end to forma spirally directed top-edge and a vertical edge at an end of saidspiraledge, acap joined to said vertical edge and supported thereby in spacedrelation with the spiral edge to form with the spiral edge a dischargeopening, the cap extending radially of the pipe beyond the wall thereof,and a shield skirt secured to the outer edge of the cap and suspendedtherefrom in spaced relation with the pipe Wall and extending from thecap beyond the lower edge of said opening, said shield skirt beingturned inwardly at the lower portion thereof toward and joined to thepipe and being spaced from the pipe at its upper portion to provide anupper outlet.

4. A device of the character stated, comprising a flue pipe which isdisposed vertically in use, said flue pipe at its upper end being cut toprovide two semi-circular spirally extending edges, the upper end ofeach spiral edge being joined to the lower end of the adjacent spiraledge by a vertical edge, a cap comprising two semi-elliptical fiatportions disposed in planes extending obliquely of the axis of the pipe,said portions each having a straight edge comprising the long axis ofthe ellipse, said portions having their straight edges secured togetherand in crossed relation, said cap being disposed over the spirally cutend of the pipe and secured at opposite sides to the said verticaledges, each of said portions being supported in spaced relation with andparallel with one of said spiral edges to form in association therewitha smoke discharge opening, said cap portions extending radially of thepipe beyond the walls thereof, and a shield skirt secured to the outeredge of each cap portion and depending therefrom in spaced relation withthe wall of the pipe to cover the adjacent opening, each shield skirtbeing inturned at its lower end only and secured to the pipe.

5. A device of the character stated, comprising a flue pipe which isdisposed vertically in use, said flue pipe at its upper end being cut toprovide two semi-circular spirally extending edges, the upper end ofeach spiral edge being joined to the lower end of the adjacent spiraledge by a vertical edge, a cap comprising two semi-elliptical fiatportions disposed in planes extending obliquely of the axis of the pipe,said portions each having a straight edge comprising the long axis ofthe ellipse, said portions having their straight edges secured togetherand in crossed relation, said cap being disposed over the spirally cutend of the pipe and secured at opposite sides to the said verticaledges, each of said portions being supported in spaced relation with andparallel with one of said spiral edges to form in association therewitha smoke discharge opening, said cap portions extending radially of thepipe beyond the walls thereof, a skirt encircling the upper end of thepipe and said cap and secured to the periphery of the cap portions, saidskirt having two spirally cut lower edges disposed below said openingsand spaced from the wall of the pipe and each extending throughout thespiral extent of a capportion and partway across the adjacent capportion, said skirt being secured to diametrically opposite sides of thepipe from the lower edge of the skirt and throughout a portion of itslength and the upper end of the skirt being open.

6. A device of the character stated, comprising a pipe which is disposedvertically in use, the upper end of the pipe being cut to provide aspiral edge extending throughout the circular extent of the pipe, thepipe body having a longitudinal edge joining the two ends of the spiraledge, a cap comprising a body formed of fiat material having a circularperiphery and a spiral form, the body having two radially extendingdivergent edges and a Wall connecting said edges, said cap body beingdisposed over and coaxially with the spiraled edge of the pipe and saidwall being secured along the said longitudinal edge of the pipe wherebythe cap is maintained in spaced relation with said spiral edge andcoacts therewith to provide a spiral outlet opening, the diameter of thecap being greater than the diameter of the pipe whereby the periphery ofthe cap extends beyond the Wall of the pipe, and a shield guard securedaround the periphery of the cap and extending therefrom longitudinallyof the pipe over said spiral opening, said skirt at its lower end beinginturned toward and secured to the pipe and at its upper end beingspaced from said wall to form an upper gas escape passage.

VICTOR J. KENNEDY.

